What 20 and 26" tyres to change to from Marathon Plus?

[andytheflyer]

Hi,

I fitted 1.5" wide M+ (20" front and 25" rear) when I bought the bike 'bent last November - because my road bike has 700cx25 Conti Hardshells and these work well in the thorn-strewn rural roads of Cheshire and N Shropshire. The M+ seemed to offer the best puncture resistance on my local roads in the sizes I need for the 'bent.

I only expected to use the 'bent over the winter - but I enjoy it so much that I've done 90% of my riding since November on the 'bent. Now that we are safely out of the thorn season, and the 'bent is in frequent use (at least until the Legend of Gelert audax!) I wonder if there are some 'quicker' tyres I should try.

The Durano Pluses look good, but only available as a Durano in the 20" size (I think). 1.1" on the front and 1.35 on the rear.

Firstly, are there any 'quicker' tyres than the M+ that still have a similar level of p*ture resistance, and if I did change tyre, am I really going to notice a difference?

Thoughts pls.

 

[Scoosh]

Oooh - looking forward to replies to this, as I am considering changing my Marathon Racers for something else. I have some Conti SportContacts, which I will put on once I get the inner tubes ... and will be interested to see what differences I notice in ride comfort and speed.

 

[andytheflyer]

Oooh - looking forward to replies to this, as I am considering changing my Marathon Racers for something else. I have some Conti SportContacts, which I will put on once I get the inner tubes ... and will be interested to see what differences I notice in ride comfort and speed.

Not sure I'm going to get a definitive answer, but we will see! There's not a lot of choice for the 20" that I can find - but I'm new to this size and doubtless the great resource of CC will have been there long before me.....!

 

[mjr]

How many scratches are you getting in the sidewall? How deep are the bits you're pulling out?

If few and not very, then Road Cruisers might be a good choice (I use the similar Delta Cruiser but it's not available in a 20). If few and deep, then regular Marathon seems like a good bet. If you're taking much sidewall damage, I think any non plus tyres will be risky.

 

[mjr]

Oh and I currently use Kenda KWest in a 20 which are fairly resistant and fairly smooth/fast but I'm not sure how well they wear yet. Might be worth considering, again if sidewalls aren't taking heavy attack. Edit: except they're discontinued, which is the sort of nonsense that stopped me using Kenda.

 

[andytheflyer]

How many scratches are you getting in the sidewall? How deep are the bits you're pulling out?

If few and not very, then Road Cruisers might be a good choice (I use the similar Delta Cruiser but it's not available in a 20). If few and deep, then regular Marathon seems like a good bet. If you're taking much sidewall damage, I think any non plus tyres will be risky.

er, must go and check.....

No sidewall damage at all over 1000 miles despite some thumping potholes - but I run the front at >80psi, and the rear at 90-100psi.. And I never see any thorns in the tread, but have had 1 puncture - a thorn that went between the tread blocks on the front. We get carpets of thorns all across the roads between October and March when the farmers are hedge-mangling. Around here, we have hawthorn hedges almost everywhere, and on both sides of the road - it's all sheep and cattle here - so stockproof hedges are the norm. I pick my way through but it's inevitable that i run over a few - but still the M+ keep them out. Using M+ may seem overkill, but I originally had Kendas on my Defy and they were a magnet for thorn punctures. Hence the Conti Gators and the M+ on the 'bent.

I was looking for similar level of puncture protection and a lower rolling resistance - hence the Durano Pluses (which CRC have in stock in a 20" I see), which being slick I assume will roll easier. But is that true? The Road Cruisers are treaded - and I thought I needed a slicker tyre for summer - but maybe my logic is flawed.

All thoughts appreciated.

 

[arallsopp]

Hi,
Firstly, are there any 'quicker' tyres than the M+

Yes.

Hi,
...that still have a similar level of p*ture resistance.

No.

I used to run a Marathon racer 20" front. It was faster than the M+ (or seemed so anyway) and although was as (or more) resilient than pretty much anything else, after about 8k miles it started to let me down with increasing regularity. Eventually (after about 10k miles) I switched to the M+. The main difference is I no longer sit up and try to peer around the boom whilst riding to work out why the front is squishy. It isn't.

On the back, I had another racer (in 26"). I switched to a supreme at the same time that I swapped the front. I'd say both are slightly slower than the racers (which makes sense) but it could well be that the M+ is very slow and the supreme is unable to make up the shortfall. Too hard to wheelie it and find out.

Personally, I just run it as a work horse. Dynamo lights, racks all around, at least one laptop onboard, plus me means its never going to be a speedster. That's OK. My legs could use the workout

 

[StuAff]

Durano Plus are indeed available in 28/406 size- CRC have them for £25, Evans for a bit more. They will definitely be quicker than M+, though not with the same puncture resistance (they're still tougher than a very very tough thing, though). I'd be tempted to stick them on Chutney the Dahon if only they were a bit wider- the 40mm Marathon Racers that are on now have a lot more air..

 

[mjr]

I was looking for similar level of puncture protection and a lower rolling resistance - hence the Durano Pluses (which CRC have in stock in a 20" I see), which being slick I assume will roll easier. But is that true? The Road Cruisers are treaded - and I thought I needed a slicker tyre for summer - but maybe my logic is flawed.

It's often written that tread is a red herring - it's mostly for cosmetics and slightly for biting through mush - and I basically agree with that. Compound and stiffness(construction) both make more difference to what will roll easier - that explains the huge difference in ease-of-rolling between M+ (stiffer, protected sidewalls) and Marathon (protected centre but less so on the sides).

I can't write much about the Duranos because I've never tried them. It looks a bit like the Durano and D+ are different tyres, similar to how the various Marathons are.

 

[StuAff]

IIt looks a bit like the Durano and D+ are different tyres, similar to how the various Marathons are.

Yes, to put it mildly. The Durano family includes the standard one, the DD (sidewall protection), the E (for E-bikes), the HT (tubular) and the Plus (Smartguard layer as M+, in thinner form).

 

[mr messy]

Can really feel the protection layer in the D+ compared to the more basic kevlarguard. Schwalbe labelling now as 'flatless'. Pretty sure the Duranos are dual compound for better grip also

 

[andytheflyer]

Yes, to put it mildly. The Durano family includes the standard one, the DD (sidewall protection), the E (for E-bikes), the HT (tubular) and the Plus (Smartguard layer as M+, in thinner form).

Hmmmmm.... Much to think about - many thx to all the respondents so far.

I'm totally happy with the M+ as a winter tyre, but I'm beginning to think I'm too conservative for a summer tyre when there are almost no thorns around, and since my rides are 99% rural there's almost no urban broken glass.

So, suggestions pls for a quicker tyre than the M+ in 20 and 26 sizes, but with some puncture resistance. I note Andy Allsopp's comments about the M Supreme and Racer - but these are wider than the 1.5 inch M+- so are they not slower? Or does the armour plate of the M+ make them intrinsically slower than (say) the std Marathon?

Do I need to think slicks (e.g. Durano) only, or does the standard Marathon or Road Cruiser roll easier than the M+?

Thx for your patience! Suspect the answer to my Q has to do with the lengths of string.....

 

[StuAff]

You're probably not wrong there. I run 40mm tyres on Chutney as I found 28mms a bit harsher though it was still comfortable. I still might give Durano+ a go in future, not least because the Marathon Racers I'm using now are no longer available in a folding version, at least in 406 size. A wider tyre can, depending on road conditions, be faster- if only because a rider feels they can press on more without being rattled to bits...

 

[andytheflyer]

Just found this: http://www.schwalbetires.com/bike_tires/recumbent

Very interesting......

You're probably not wrong there. I run 40mm tyres on Chutney as I found 28mms a bit harsher though it was still comfortable. I still might give Durano+ a go in future, not least because the Marathon Racers I'm using now are no longer available in a folding version, at least in 406 size. A wider tyre can, depending on road conditions, be faster- if only because a rider feels they can press on more without being rattled to bits...

In doing a bit more research, the experts advocate a slightly wider tyre as being faster, so arallsopp is probably right in his assertion. Seems counter-intuitive, but I understand the physics of the wide is faster contention.

 

[Scoosh]

The previous owner of my Fuego used to TT on it and used the Conti SportContacts for that, so they should be quite quick.

Report to come when I ...

• get then changed over
• have had a chance to ride with them a bit
• have an opinion about whether they are faster/slower, more/less/same comfy etc